SRIKAKULAM: Akin to the famous Super-30 concept of a teacher from Bihar coaching 30 poor students to excel in entrance tests, Super-60, has achieved the distinction of grooming tribal students of Srikakulam to get admission in IITs, NITs and other premier institutions. As many as 40 students from Super-60 special campus have secured seats in prestigious IITs and NITs while others got admissions in reputed engineering colleges.
In 2019, the then Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) Seethampeta Project Officer Saikanth Varma came up with the idea of Super-60 and started the special campus at the youth training centre in Srikakulam. The campus was inaugurated on August 3, 2019. Varma, a former IIT student, selected the faculty by conducting interviews. He handpicked 60 students by conducting entrance test in district Gurukulams and tribal welfare colleges. He developed amenities on par with corporate colleges in the campus to groom tribal students for entrance tests.
In 2020, 12 students of the first batch of the campus had secured seats in IITs and NITs by getting just five months of coaching. The campus topper of 2020, Savara Raviteja is studying BTech in IIT Varanasi. Another topper M Earthasing got a seat in NIT Allahabad. The remaining students had got admission in reputed engineering colleges in the State. The successive ITDA Project Officer Ch Sridhar continued the legacy of Varma. He arranged special classes by renowned motivational speakers for the benefit of students taking coaching at Super-60.
He named a classroom as Raviteja Sadan, the 2019-20 batch campus topper, who secured admission in IIT Varanasi, to inspire students.Speaking to TNIE, Savara Raviteja said, “I lost my parents in my childhood. I grew up in my uncle’s house. I got admission in Super-60 in 2020. By getting coaching for just five months, I got 832nd rank in ST category and secured admission in IIT Varanasi. When I visited the campus after joining IIT, I saw one classroom in my name and felt happy as it is a privilege for me to inspire juniors.’’
ITDA PO B Navya said, “We will extend all possible support to Super-60 campus. We conducted the entrance test recently for the 2021-22 batch. We have allotted 30 seats for social welfare students and 30 seats for tribal welfare students this year. About 50 per cent of seats are allotted for girls in each category.’’
Navya said she was in touch with the social welfare department to get funds to improve facilities in the campus further. “I hope we will achieve better results next year.”
Coming to the 2020-21 Super-60 batch, 18 students had secured admission in IIT, Preparatory IIT and NITs out of 58. Other students got good ranks in AP EAPCET and are waiting for counselling. Three from Super-60 have received laptops from Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for their achievement. Biddika Uday, 2021 campus topper, said, “The ITDA has been providing experienced faculty, best food and accommodation in Super-60. This has become a famous destination for tribal students who want to achieve career heights.”